Picker stick



May 3l, 1949. H, MENKING 2,471,532

PICKER sTIcx Filed Jan. 2o, 1945 ssneets-sheei 1 May 31, 1949. H, MENKlNG 2,471,532

PICKER STICK Filed Jan. 20, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fie/ 85 INVEN TOR.

ITNEY H. MENKING May 31, 1949.

PICKER STICK 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 Filed Jan. 2o, 1945 INVENTOR. Heinz Mza/@ B www rm wm@ HTTUR/VEY Paienied May 31, 1949 UNITED STATES vPATENT OFFICE PICKER STICK v Heinz Menking, Rocky River, Ohio, assigner to Aluminum-Company of America, Pittsburgh, l Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 20, 1945, Serial No. 573,687

2 Claims.

This invention relatesto picker sticks, the devices used to casta shuttle back and forth over a loom during the Weaving operation. The general object of the invention is to provide a metallic picker stick superior in function and of greater life thanthe wooden pickerA sticks now used by the textile industry.

Essentially a picker stick is a light, elongate arm mounted at one end' on a fixed pivot and adapted to be pulled sharply and inwardly toward the loom to bring a picker, or resilient pad, mounted on the free end of the picker stick, into throwing contact with thev shuttle. During a weaving operation the shuttle ies in a free path between two such picker sticks and often travels over the loom at a rate of around 200 times a minute,

' which rate demands that each picker stick perform its appointed task about 100 times a minute.

' The accuracy with which the shuttle flies over its cally happens, the personnel operating the loom may be injured by the ying` shuttle. Such problems as these have been attendant upon the operation of looms for many years, and much loom time has been wasted because of the failure of y;

the picker stick or because of variations in its throwing action.

The wooden picker sticks now. used in the art continually fail by splitting and splintering as well 'as by reason of other Wear and tear, all caused by tension and impact stresses. when the best selected hickory, a wood particularly useful for this purpose, is employed, the sticks must be continually replaced. Moreover, even the most carfeully selected Wood is not uniform, and therefore picker sticks vary in accuracy of shuttle throw. Changes in humidity of the surrounding atmosphere also change the throwing accuracy of the stick. For these reasons the desirability of the use of a. metal picker stick has been apparent, and such sticks have been proposed, for many years. However, so far as I am aware, prior to this invention no metal stick has been devised which has the proper and desirable properties of the wooden stick and, despite the v2 diculties above mentioned, the art has continued to use wooden picker sticks. The peculiar combination of properties, which may be generally noted as a combination of strength, lightness and Even resilience, which is required in picker sticks has beenheretofore thought to be unique in wood. Metal picker sticks having proper shuttle throwing characteristics have heretofore lacked the strength to withstand the stresses imposed on the stick during the throwing operation and have failed too readily to be of much use. Such metal picker sticks also have a sideways or weaving motion when operated in the loom, which prevents accurate throwing of the shuttle. Metal picker sticks, designed to have sufficient strength to withstand the stresses involved and to move through their arc of travel without la side or weaving motion, have proven too stiff, heavy and cumbersome to perform the proper function in existing loom equipment and have also lacked the characteristics, usually described as resilience and elasticity, necessary to the accurate projection of the shuttle across the loom. Such disadvantages of the metal picker stick have heretofore prevented its use, and the use of the wooden stick has continued despite its uncertain characteristics and relatively short life.

I have devised a metal picker stick which is equal, and often superior, to the wooden picker stick in accuracy of shuttle throw, which has a longer life than the wooden stick, and which is free, to any important degree, of the faults which have heretofore prevented the use of metal sticks. Thus I am able to take advantage of the relative uniformity of metal (as compared to wood) and the constancy of metal properties under changing humidity conditions, and furnish to the textile industry a picker stick of certain reproduceable and continuing characteristics and of predictable and reproduceable,performance. My invention is predicated on my discovery that the metal magnesium possesses, when subjected to this use, the properties necessary to the accurate throwing of the shuttle and that in this respect magnesium is the equal of and often superior to, wood. I have further discovered that a magnesium picker stick does not, upon continual use, lose these desirable properties.

The magnesium of which the picker sticks of this invention may be made need not be pure and, indeed, is best alloyed with other metals, such as are commonly used to produce the high strength magnesium' alloys known to the art, and the desirable throwing properties of the magnesium are present in usable degree in'these magnesium a1- loys which contain atleast 85 per cent by weight of magnesium. Therefore, when the words magnesium or magnesio metal" are used hereinafter and in the appended claims, they are used to include and define such alloys as well as magaspects of the invention are best described with reference to the attached drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one commercial type of a, conventional wooden picker stick, and

conventional cooperating parts, mounted in a typical pivotal device; f

Fig. 2 schematically illustrates the function of a picker stick in a loom;

Figs. 3 and 4 show, in side elevation and in plan view, respectively, a magnesium picker stick involving features of this invention;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view, taken through Fig. 3 on the section indicated by the line 5 5;

Fig. 6 is a similar view taken through Fig. 3 at the line 6 6;

Figs. '7 and 8 illustrate,in side elevation and vertical cross-section, respectively, an alternative design 'of that portion of the stick which is in'- dicated on Fig. 3 by the bracket F;

Figs. 9 and 10 show, in side elevation and ver'- tical cross-section, respectively, another alternative design of the stick portion lying within the bracket F, as shown on Fig. 3.

Fig. l1 is a cross-section taken on line through the picker head of Fig. 3, illustrating the method of seating the picker in the picker stick;

Figs. 12 and 13 show, in elevation and vertical cross-section, respectively, views of an alternative method of seating the picker in the picker stick;

Figs. 14 and 15 similarly illustrate another alternative method;

Figs. 16 to 20, inclusive, are views of picker stick sections embodying the principles of this invention;

- Fig. 2l is a view, in side elevation with a portion of its surface cut away, of a preferred design of magnesium picker stick made in accordance with this invention and incorporating as an integral part of the stick a portion of a standard pivoting device;

Figs. 22 through 27, inclusive, are verticalsectional views taken through the picker stick shown in Fig. 21 as follows:

Fig. 22 on line 22-22;

Fig. 23 on line 23--23;

Fig. 24 on line 24-24;

Fig. 25 on line 25-25;

Fig. 26 on line 26-26; and

Fig. 27 on line 21-21.

The conventional assembly shown in Figure l will sufce to describe the nature and function of the well known elements which are accessory to a picker stick. Other types of simpler design are likewise used and the type shown in this figure is merely selected for illustration. This type comprises a conventional wooden picker stick 3| bearing a picker 32 and attached, as by bolt 33, to a shoe 34, which in turn rests upon parallel shoe 35. A spring reel 36 exerts a constant but yielding tension on the strap 31 which is attached to the reel and is also attached. to the lower curved end of the stick, and this reel tends to maintain the picker stick in the normal position shown. A leather strip or pad 38, which configuration.

may if desired be made of rubber for better cushioning effect, is fastened to the back of the stick 3| above the point of its pivot and cushions the action of a yoke 39 to which may be attached a pulling link 42 (as shown in Fig. 2) for the purpose of pulling the stick forward against the action of spring reel 36. Referring also to Fig. 2, in the normal operationof the loom the shuttle 40 is thrownA from its shuttle box 4| by pulling the stick 3| sharply forward, and after its flight across the loom the shuttle is received in another shuttle box 4| and from there again thrown by the other picker stick. This action .is rapid and continuous throughout the weaving operation.

In utilizing my discovery that magnesium has peculiar and unexpected properties which lend that metal to use' as a picker stick, I have further found that the shuttle throwing characteristicsof a magnesium stick arebest developed if the cross section of the stick be of certain This configuration is that commonly referredl to as an I section, but it need not be exactly in the form of an I in the sense that one of the cross pieces of the I may be shorter and thicker or shorter and slimmer than the other, and both cross pieces, or either of them, may be of somewhat rounded or bulbous shape so that the resultant section may have a form that might be better described as dumb-bell, or as two bulbous sections connected by a narrower section. Nevertheless the expression I section perhaps best explains to the art the character of the general shape of the section, and by the use of the words, the section is substantially I shaped" in the appended claims I mean to include all sections of the type just indicated. The drawings show in Figs. 3 and 4 and in Fig. 21 two types of picker sticks embodying this invention. In detailed aspects these types are merely exemplary, as will hereinafter be pointed out, but in their fundamental aspect they embody the principles of my invention, in that both such sticks have, in cross section, substantially the shape of an I. For instance, referring to Figs. 3 and 4, the stick there shown consists of a body 1| having a picker head portion 12 in which is seated a picker 14. The end of the stick opposite the picker head portion has a conventional, arcuate shape to ft within such a standard pivoting device as that illustrated in Fig. 1 and previously described. To prevent the chang of the metal by the strap, such as strap 31 shown in Fig. l, the stick shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is provided, over its arcuate surface, with a protecting sheath 44 composed of leather, plastic, steel or some other protective substance. Throughout a substantial portion of its length the stick 1| has the I section indicated in Fig. 6, with the exception of that portion of the stick which immediately surrounds the bolt hole 45 which is provided in the stick to receive the conventional bolt 33 (see Fig. 1) by which the stick is fastened to the shoe 34. In order to provide sufficient section through which this bolt hole may be formed, the stick 1| is, through a minor portion of its length-of the cross section indicated in Fig. 5. However, it will be noted that the cross section indicated at Fig. 5 appears atthe pivot point of the stick and that the stick between the pivot point and the picker head portion is in cross-section substantially I shaped. 4 The particular shape illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 may be varied. Figs. 16 to 20, inclusive, being illustrative of the crosssectional shape of picker sticks embodying the principles of this invention.

In the preferred form of picker stick :shown in Fig. 21 it will be noted that the stick 9| has, like the stick 1l of Fig. 3,'a head portion 92, which forms a seat for the picker. However, the picker stick of Fig. 21 varies from the Dicker stick of Fig. 3 in comprising as an integral part of the`stick thevportion 93, which corresponds to the conventional shoe 34 shown in Fig. 1. This eliminates the necessity of the enlarged cross-sectional portion of the stick, such as shown in Fig. 5, provided for the purposes of receiving the bolt hole 45, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, since it is no longer necessary that a bolt be fastened through the stick, since the shoe portion 93 is an integral part thereof. However, the threaded screw hole 46 is provided in the device of Fig. 21 as a means by which the picker stick may be attached to a spring reel, such as the spring reel 36, shown-in Fig. 1 by a strap, such as the strap 31, shown in Fig. 1. It will be noted that portion y93 of the picker stick in Fig. 21 which represents the shoe 34 is faced with a steel, or other hard metal or a ber, protective plate 47. This is best shown in the cross-sectional views of Figs. 26 and 27. This plate is for the purpose of preventing Wear of the picker stick surface as it contacts the shoe 35 of the conventional pivot device illustrated in Fig. 1. i

It will be noted from Figs. 22, 23, 24 and 25, all of which are vertical cross sections through portions of the picker stick shown in Fig. 21, that the picker stick is substantially I shaped throughout its cross section but that the shape, while maintaining the conguration of an I, changes in actual dimension.

Before discussing further the preferred details of this invention, it is desirable to note that any metal part reciprocating under repeated stress is prone to a type of failure known as fatigue `failure, which is caused by a building up or localization of the repeated stresses at points of weakness in the part. Sharp corners, holes and nicks are some of the more common causes of stress localization in constantly stressed parts. For that reason I prefer, in the manufacture of my imthis lug, as show-n, and is held on the lug by the washer 49 and the clip 50. Alternative devices for achieving this same result-without localizing stresses within the metal .stick are located in Figs. 7 to 10, inclusive. As will be noted from those figures, -a portion of the cross section of the picker stick 1l that liesV within-the area indicated by the bracket F in Fig. 3 is made in the form of a`T so that over the back side of the stick theremay be placed a metal yoke 5| which is seated on thestick body but protected therefrom by a leather or resilient lining 52. A hole is formed through said yoke and through the approximate center of the cross section of the picker stick body, and a rivet 53 is 'inserted through said hole and forms a means of attaching the yoke to the picker stick body. This rivet i is best held 'in position by the-washer 54 and the cotter pin -19. 'I'he yoke 5| may have formed integrally therewith the pad holding hook 55, as shown in'Figs. 9 and 10, or the yoke may be provided with a threaded hole in which is seated the threaded bolt 56,-which bolt extends upwardly and holds the pad 78, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

However, to 'avoid the use of any such device, I may, as is shown in Fig. y2l, form as an integral portion of the body of the picker stick and on .the inward or pull side of the stick an elongated socket porti-on 5l, best shown in Figs, 21 .and 23, which is so formed as to receive a bolt having a lball-shaped head, which bolt head may be securely held in said socket by a screw passing through one ofthe threaded holes 58.y This forms a means of attaching a pulling link to the picker stick directly and avoids the use of yokes or other U-shaped devices and, therefore, avoids. th necessity of providing a pad upon the rear surface proved and novel picker stick, to avoid sharp corners at all times, and therefore the I shaped cross section of my preferred design is preferably so formed that it contains `no sharp angular corners or sharp edges, and it will be noted that this is a characteristic of all of the sections shown in Figs. 6, 16, 17, 18, 1'9, 20, 22, 23,24 and 25.

As above described, lthe throwing action of the picker stick is initiated by a sharp forward pull to move the stick inwardly toward the loom. For that reason the stick is usually provided with some attachment, such as the yoke 39 shown in Fig. 1, which forms a means to which the pulling device may be linked, and to yprevent injury to the stick at the point of pull, the stick is l'provided with a pad 38, usually made of leather or some similar soft and protective substance. It is necessary, therefore, to attach such a pad to ,the stick. In order that this may be accomplished without forming a hole in the surface of -stick. One of the preferred forms of such a device is shown in Figs. 3 and 6 and consists of a lug 48 formed integrally with the Fbody of the picker stick. The leather pad 18 is seated on of the picker stick. In the form shown in Fig'. 21, the socket portion 5l is of considerable length and is provided with -three threaded holes 58, thus allowing a ready change in the point at which the pulling link exerts .the pull on the stick, since the ball-shaped bolt which goes within this socket may be positioned at any of the three positions indicated by the holes 58.

Referring now to the manner of seating the picker head on the picker stick, it Will be realized that there are, generally speaking, two types of picker. head-those which are fixed and those which, during the throwingA action, move up and down the body of the stick. Both types are conventional, and the principles of adapting Ithe picker stick to receive either the xed head or the traveling head are well known. Where the traveling head is used, my metal stick is not provided with a picker head portion such as the portion 12 of Fig. 3 or 92 of Fig. 2l, but where the picker is fixed, s uch a picker head portion is provided. This picker head portion is usually somewhat larger in cross section than the body of the picker stick, and in the preferred practice of my invention the picker head portion is so formed that a picker head may be readily seated within the picker head portion. I'he picker head may be seated in the picker head portion ofthe picker stick in various ways, some of which are illustrated in the drawings. For instance, referring to Figs. 3, 4.and 11, the picker head portion is formed with a slot 59, and a picker head shaped to be inserted into said slot, as shown in Fig. 11, is inserted -therein and held by the strap 6G which is fastened to the end of the picker stick by the bolt EL Other methods of attaching the picker ,to the picker head portion of the stick are illustrated in Figs. 12 to 15, inclusive. Referring to Figs. 12 and 13, a slot B8 is formed cross-wise of the picker head portion, and a picker 82 is shaped with a portion to fit within said slot, as shown in Fig. 12. the picker being held within the slot in the picker head by the strap 83 and the screw Il. A simpler form is shown in Figs. 14 and 15, where the picker head is shaped to form a recess and the picker 85 is shaped tov fit within said recess and to be heid therein by the screw 86. Other methods of seating the picker in the picker head portion of the stick will occur to those skilled in the art.

Using magnesium picker sticks having a picker stick body substantiaily I-shaped in cross section, I have been able not only to reproduce the throwing qualities of a wooden picker stick but actually. in many cases, to produce throwing qualities superior to those of the wooden stick, and this I have been able to achieve without sacrificing strength or materially increasing weight. I therefore provide an improved metal picker stick having all of the qualities of a wooden stick and. in substantial degree, none of the faults present in .previous metal sticks. Picker sticks made in accordance with my invention have reproduceable characteristics so that one stick may be changed for another during the operation of the loom without -changing the path through which the shuttle is thrown. Moreover, my improved picker sticks, particularly when suitably designed to avoid stress at localizing points through the body of the-stick, are of exceedingly long life, and their use Vresults not only in constantly accurate shuttle throw but likewise in savings in loom time and repair.

While the pickel` sticks of this invention may be made in cast form, particularly if the casting REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 919,541 Cote Apr. 27, 1909 1,477,584 Mossberg Dec. 18, 1923 1,580,345 Stossel Apr. 13, 1926 1,701,245 Rawson Feb. 5, 1929 2,223,857 Prina Dec. 3, 1940 2,364,740 Menking Dec. 12, 1944 Carter Nov. 27, 1945 OTHER REFERENCES Progress of Aluminum and Magnesium 1n Textile Industry," Rayon Textile Monthly-Sept. 1939-pages 98 and 99. (Copy in Div. 21.)

Magnesium Alloys Find Wider Application in Machine Parts, Machine Design-Dec. 1939- pages 34-36. (Copy in-Div. 21.) 

